Guide
How to Get Higher Scores in Basketball Arcade Games
Making more shots is not the same as scoring more points. How multipliers and pacing really decide a high score.
Jordan Mitchell
9 min read
Category
Multiplayer Basketball Games
You do not need a networked game to play someone else. Shared-device formats turn any high-score game into a head-to-head contest.
No games in this category yet
We only list games we have actually built. When one ships it will appear here — and not before. In the meantime the guidance above covers what you can do with the games we do have.
Let us be straightforward about what this category is right now: Basketball Arcade does not yet host a game with built-in two-player controls. Building online multiplayer properly means running servers, matchmaking and moderation, and we would rather say so than put a "2P" badge on a single-player game.
What the site does have is a set of score-attack games that work extremely well as pass-the-device contests, and a scoring system honest enough to referee one. Every game records a best score locally and shows your last score on the game-over screen, which is all you need.
Formats that work on one device
Alternating minutes. Best for Basketball Time Attack and the 3-Point Basketball Challenge. Each player takes one full round; highest score wins. Clean, fast, and no argument about conditions.
Survival ladder. Best for Basketball Hoop Rush and Dunk Challenge. Player one sets a number. Player two has to beat it. Loser sets the next target.
Shot-for-shot. Best for Basketball Shooting Challenge. Play in short bursts and swap on every miss, keeping a running total across the round.
Handicap play. If one player is clearly stronger, give the other a head start in points rather than changing the game. It keeps the contest close without pretending the gap is not there.
What we are working towards
A genuine local two-player mode — two sets of controls, one screen, one round — is on the roadmap for a future game on this site. When it exists it will be listed here, and not before. Until then, this page is a guide to the formats rather than a list of games we do not have.
Guides and articles for multiplayer games
Written while the games were open, and tested against them.
Guide
Basketball Arcade Game Controls: A Complete Reference
Every keyboard, mouse and touch control used across the site, in one reference — plus what to do when a control is not working.
Casey O’Brien
6 min read
Article
Basketball Arcade Games for Kids and Families
Which games suit younger players, what parents should know about how the site works, and three formats for playing together on one device.
Casey O’Brien
6 min read
Article
The Best Basketball Games for Short Sessions
What makes a game genuinely short-session friendly — and which of ours fit a two-minute gap without leaving you mid-thought.
Jordan Mitchell
6 min read
Multiplayer Basketball Games: frequently asked questions
Does Basketball Arcade have two-player games?
Not yet with built-in two-player controls. Every game here is single-player, but all of them record scores locally, which makes pass-the-device head-to-head formats straightforward. This page describes the formats that work best.
What is the fairest way to play head-to-head on one device?
Use a fixed-length game such as Basketball Time Attack or the 3-Point Challenge so both players face identical conditions, and take turns in full rounds rather than swapping mid-round.
Can two people play on the same keyboard?
Not simultaneously in the current games — each is built around a single control scheme. Alternating turns is the supported way to play against someone else.
Will online multiplayer be added?
Online play needs servers and moderation, so there is no date to promise. A local two-player mode on one screen is the more realistic next step, and it will appear in this category if and when it ships.